Black Butler: Falling Pawns
by pocky-chan1217
Summary: After nearly being killed during a party, Ciel is trying to hunt down the assassin while having to deal with the Queen's constant requests. And there is also a new person arriving at the mansion. Lady Claire Benoit is the head of her father's estate and weapon factory while he is out of business, and she is assigned to guard Ciel until the Queen deems it unnecessary.
1. Prologue

The soft clap of heels echoed down the grand hall, the only sound besides the slight rustle of a silk dress. A black figure made her way down the hall, her face hidden with a black veil. She stopped at an oak door with brass handles. Two soldiers clad in armor stood guard at said door, and the black figure nodded at them. They silently opened the door to the quaint room. A familiar person was waiting in one of the chairs.

The walls were a soft baby blue color, with white curtains and a few portraits hanging here and there. The floor was wood with a rug the same shade as the walls. Two chairs and a table had been set up, and a vase full of flowers and a tray with cakes and scones were on the table. And sitting on one of the chairs was none other than the Queen Victoria herself.

The Queen looked up when the doors opened and smiled when she saw the black veiled figure. "You're early, miss Raven." The girl walked over and sat daintily in one of the chairs. While she sat, she said in a soft voice, "My carriage left earlier as to not be late."

Victoria smiled. "I'm not surprised. You do live so far away."

"Before we begin to idly chat, I'd like to know why you called me here." the Raven girl said.

"Ah, yes. I have called you here for a special mission…"

Victoria pulled out a photo from her dress pocket, and handed it to the veiled girl. The girl glanced around before slowly lifting her veil slightly. The photo showed a boy around the age of thirteen who had black hair with a blue tint to it, and sapphire eyes. Actually, it was one eye. The other was hidden beneath a black eyepatch, and it made the girl wonder what happened to his eye. Behind him was a tall butler who had pitch-black hair and odd red eyes.

"You have a heard of Ciel Phantomhive, correct?"

The girl nodded softly before handing the picture back to Queen Victoria and letting her veil fall back down.

"He was just on one of my missions for him, and I'm afraid he did not do exactly as I asked."

"How so?"

"There had been children missing at the time, and I sent him to find the kidnappers and retrieve the children."

The Queen paused for a moment, looking down at the tea in her cup.

"Instead, he burned the mansion they were in, killing all the children."

This made the veiled girl curl her hands into fists. "I take it you want me to… dispose of him, correct?"

When the queen nodded, the girl let her hands relax again. She stood up softly, which made the queen confused. "You're leaving already?" The girl bowed before the Queen and said, "I will make sure to come visit you again, my Queen. We will catch up on each other another time." Victoria gave her a soft smile and nodded for her to leave.

As the girl walked out to her carriage, she made sure no one was watching as she lifted her veil up and over her head. A boy was waiting in the carriage for her. "Another mission, My Lady?" A small smirk formed on the girl's lips.

"I think this one will be quite an interesting adventure."


	2. Chapter 1

Ciel looked out the window of his carriage, watching as the English countryside rolled in and out of view and resting his head in his hand. Sebastian was sitting opposite to him, content with just staring at the carriage wall. The young earl had been invited to a party at the Viscount Druitt's mansion, and unfortunately, the Queen insisted he go. He was dressed in his normal navy blue suit, and the eyepatch was tied over his left eye as usual. Ciel also looked absolutely miserable.

He could still remember the last time he saw Druitt, when it was the Jack the Ripper case and he had to go in a dress, with a corset. A PINK one, no doubt. Ciel really hoped he didn't have to speak with that creep too much this time.

When Sebastian noticed Ciel's expression got sourer, Sebastian said, "Are you thinking of that… _incident _that happened last time, my Lord?" Ciel glanced at him before looking back out the window, saying nothing. "I'm sure nothing will happen this night." Sebastian continued, a small smirk on his face. "We will see." Ciel replied.

The carriage pulled in front of the doors of the mansion, and Sebastian got out to open the door for Ciel. Before he could fully get out of the carriage, he noticed something moving out of the corner of his eye. A shadow shifted slightly and disappeared into the bushes. The earl stared for a minute, blinked, then shook his head. 'Must be a trick,' he thought to himself as he stepped onto the ground.

The two walked into the party, and noise filled the room. A small band was playing lively music as people danced gracefully with their partners. Others were chatting with each other or eating some of the snacks laid out for them on tables covered with white cloth. Everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves. Ciel and Sebastian walked off to the side, preferring just to watch silently. A few people approached him, but they soon left when they realized he obviously didn't want to be here. Nothing much happened until a blur of blonde ran straight into Ciel.

"CIEL~!" Lizzy Midford said as she hugged her fiance. Ciel made a small "ack!" sound before nearly stumbling over. "L-Lizzy, you're here too?" he said, and she nodded. "Of course! When I heard you were coming, I had to come too! Luckily, I got an invitation as well."

The band started to play a waltz, and Lizzy looked expectantly at Ciel. Ciel gave her a small smile before holding out his hand, which she gladly took. They made their way to the middle of the dancefloor, Ciel somehow managed not to trip over his own two feet. They danced until the end of the song, and Ciel bowed. Lizzy curtsied back, before a girl's pretty dress caught her eye. "Ooo~ that dress is so pretty!" she said. Ciel's fiance obviously wanted to go meet the girl, but she also didn't want to leave Ciel alone. The earl smirked slightly, and nodded his head at the girl, and Lizzy beamed. "Thank you, Ciel!" Lizzy gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before running off.

Ciel made his way back to his place at the wall, Sebastia there waiting for him. "You looked like you were enjoying yourself." The butler commented. "Yes, well, it is always nice to see Lizzy once in a while. Even though she can go a bit overboard." The earl replied.

"So, is the ball enjoyable so far?" Sebastian asked.

"It's okay," Ciel said, "Definitely better than the last ball he held here."

Sebastian smirked. "It was interesting to see you in that dress. And you really did look like a girl."

Ciel 'tsk'ed, a frown forming on his face. "I thought we agreed never to mention that again."

"Yes, but I couldn't help but mention it, seeing as the Viscount is making his way over here."

Ciel looked over, and couldn't help but notice that the creep was indeed coming their way. "Oh god help me," he muttered under his breath.

Apparently, God had answered his prayer. Because just before Viscount could say anything, a blur of silver flew past Ciel's face and a knife lodged itself into the wall next to him.


	3. Chapter 2

Screams sounded from the people around him, and soon the entire party was in chaos. In the midst of it, Ciel had grabbed the knife and pulled it out of the wall while Sebastian scouted the area, looking for the assassin who threw it. Ciel examined the marks on it carefully, and noticed something that definitely wasn't a good sign.

The was a legend about the infamous Queen's Raven. It was a girl, always a girl, who would assassinate any noble she found to be unworthy of their title and disloyal to the Queen. She went by many names. The Weigher of the Scales of Loyalty, the Noble Reaper, etcetera. She always had special knives she used, and they had the same exact marking on them. And on this knife was a raven, it's beak open and in its claws twin swords.

While everyone was running out of the building, Ciel turned to Sebastian. "Find the Raven. That's an order!" Sebastian smirked slightly. "Yes, my lord."

Sebastian quickly spotted the Raven in the rafters of the ballroom. She was hanging onto the wooden beam, a knife in one hand. Her dress was entirely black, and she was wearing a cloak with her face covered. But Sebastian knew, she would have the same mask on that all the other Raven's wore. A mask shaped like Raven's wings. Sebastian grabbed the kitchen knives he had taken just in case and threw them at the girl. The Raven quickly jumped to the ground, and stayed in a crouched position. She pulled out another knife as she ran at Sebastian, and swiped violently at his face. The butler had just a few seconds to block the attack. 'She's fast!' he thought.

While they were at a stalemate, Sebastian's knives locked with hers, Ciel had managed to pull out his gun. He shot at the girl who barely managed to dodge, the bullet nearly slicing off her hair. She pulled away quickly and ducked under Sebastian. At first, Ciel thought she was heading straight towards him. He nearly shot again before she veered off to one side and headed for the window. 'Damnit!' he thought.

The Raven had jumped onto the windowsill, and Ciel yelled, "STOP!" She looked back at him. Her eyes were acid green, and filled with hatred. She said darkly in French, "_Never mess with the Raven." _Ciel halted in his tracks, and the Raven jumped out of the window.

Sebastian ran over to Ciel's side. "Do you want me to go after her, young master?" he asked. Ciel kept staring out the window in which the Raven had disappeared. "No, no I'm sure we'll see her again."

"The only question I have is, what could've caused you to become so disloyal that the Raven would attack you so soon?"

Ciel thought about it for a moment, before it hit him. "The circus children. She must have saw the mansion burning, and marked it as an act of disloyalty. Damn.."

Sebastian looked down at Ciel. "Your cheek is bleeding."

Ciel didn't have time to reply before Sebastian had pulled out a small cloth and began to wipe away the blood. "She has incredibly good aim. I'm surprised she didn't hit you directly." Ciel frowned. "Yes, well, she didn't." The butler stood up again and put in the cloth back in his pocket. "I'm wondering why. It's quite unusual for the Raven to ever miss."

Ciel pondered that thought for a moment. He shook his head, as if that would help him understand. "Let's just go back to the mansion. It'll be safer there if she returns.."

The two of them had just made it back to the mansion, and it was almost midnight. Mey-Rin, Finnian, and Bardroy were waiting at the front door for them. When Ciel got out of the carriage, all three servants rushed over to him.

"Lord Ciel, you're right!"

"Thank the Lord, you're not hurt!"

"We heard about what happened at the party, yes!"

"Slow down, please," Ciel said, "Yes, I'm fine. But how did you know so fast?"

The three of them blinked then pointed at the door. "This scary girl knocked at the door and said she needed to see you. She told us about what happened!"

"And you just let her in?!" Ciel yelled, clearly angry.

"She had this really official-looking letter with her. She said it was from the Queen," Finnian answered.

Ciel glared at them before storming inside his house. He slammed the door open, and immediately saw the girl. She was standing perfectly still at the top of the staircase, looking up at the large painting of Ciel's parents. Her back was facing him, so all he could see was a tangled mess of black curls and the back of her black dress. Ciel began to walk up to the staircase when she spoke with a slight French accent, "Well, it looks like the earl Phantomhive made it back home safely."

She turned slowly to face him, and Ciel stopped in his tracks. When the servants said she looked scary, they weren't kidding. The lady looked like she could easily stab someone without a single regret. Her skin was extremely pale, a bright contrast to her raven-black hair. She was actually very short, maybe even shorter than Ciel. From this angle he couldn't tell, but that didn't retract from her cold and regal expression. Cold, yet smiling. Smiling in a way that made him shiver. Like she knew something he didn't.

The scar on her face only added to darkness of the lady. On her left cheek, her face was marred by three thin scars. Judging from his position, Ciel thought they might have come from a animal, a wild dog or cat maybe.

But that wasn't the feature that caught his eye. No, it was the girl's eyes, for they were the exact same as the Raven who attacked him just hours ago.

"What's the matter, Lord Phantomhive?" She said, making her way down the stairs. She stopped right in front of him and whispered, "Cat got the Guard Dog's tongue?"


	4. Chapter 3

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Sebastian said, since Ciel stayed silent. The green-eyed girl closed her eyes slowly, seeming annoyed with the butler. She turned to him with a dark expression on her face. "My name is Lady Claire Maria Benoit, daughter of Pierre Benoit, head of Benot Weaponry. I have been assigned to guard Ciel Phantomhive by her Majesty the Queen Victoria." She held out an official document of the queen and Ciel took it. "This is real." He looked over to Sebastian.

"Then why would the Queen want a tiny girl like you to protect Young Master from her own Raven?" Claire let out a small laugh. It echoed of the walls, making it sound much darker that it actually was. "Because the Raven you saw last night was a fake.""Ciel's visible eye widened, and almost yelled out "What?!" But he composed himself and said instead, "How do you know?" Claire turned to him again, smirking. "You still have the knife, don't you?" Ciel checked his pocket, and pulled out the knife. Claire took it front him and examined it carefully. "Yes… This is simply a cheap copy of what my father makes." Handing it back to the earl, she said, "My father is the one who makes the specialty knives the Raven uses. This isn't my father's company's craftsmanship, that's for sure."

"So… you know who the Raven is then?" Sebastian asked, taking his place by Ciel's side. Claire's expression hardened again. Something about Sebastian really displeased her. "No, I'm afraid not." she said coldly, "The knives get shipped to the Queen, where she passes them on to the Raven." Ciel frowned, and made a small 'tch.'

"Well, since a fake raven is trying to murder you, I'll be the one to personally guard you for the time being." As she began to walk down the staircase, Ciel said in a rather loud voice, "And how do I know you are capable of such an act? With the way you look, you hardly seem fit." The girl stopped in her tracks. A smirk formed on her mouth. "Is that a challenge, lord Phantomhive?" Ciel paused for a moment. His face hardened as he stated, "Yes."

Claire's smirk only widened. She turned to face him again, a challenging expression on her face. "Well then, Lord Ciel, I can only assume that you wish to fight?" Their eyes searched each other's for any weaknesses, one fatal flaw that could be used against them, as silence passed over them. Not a single person moved, breathed, or even looked away from the two nobles. Finally, Ciel spoke. "Yes. Tomorrow, three o'clock sharp. You know swordplay, correct?" Claire nodded, "Of course I do."

"Alright then. It's settle. We will have a swordfight tomorrow at 3 o'clock on the dot."

"Trust me. I won't be late."

Claire smoothed the wrinkles of her dress, her smirk still on her face. "It has been almost been an hour since I've come. I should really return to my own household." She looked up at Ciel. "It has been a pleasure to meet you, Lord Ciel."

Ciel said nothing as the lady opened the front doors and walked out to the carriage waiting there for her. The earl walked to the front door and watched as Claire got it, and the driver whipped the reigns of the horses. Right before the carriage started to move, Sebastian saw something - more like someone - sitting in the seat across from Claire. He could only make out a silhouette, and a pair of bright electric blue eyes.

"So, what do you think of the girl?" Sebastian asked Ciel afterwards. Ciel's expression hardened as he looked up at Sebastian.

"She's the Raven. I know it. And tomorrow, she's going down."


	5. Chapter 4

It was the next day already, and Ciel and Sebastian were waiting for Claire and her maid Fae to arrive. Ciel kept glancing out the window from his study, but there was no sign of the pitch-black carriage anywhere. Sighing, he looked at the book he was reading, wondering if the girl could actually beat the butler. From her small body, she must not have much strength, but the Lady must have at least some agility and speed. He had no idea what she was like with weapons, or hand-to-hand combat either. She could be really weak, for all he knew.

Sebstian came into the room carrying a tray with today's afternoon tea. "Good afternoon, Young Master." He said as he stepped inside. Ciel sniffed the tea and said, "Is this Congou tea?" Sebastian nodded, "Yes, my lord." Ciel took a small sip. "It tastes good." Sebastian half-smiled. "I'm glad you like it. Have you seen lady Benoit yet?" Ciel sighed and put the teacup back on the tray. "No, she hasn't arrived yet, and it's nearly 4:00 p.m.."  
"I'm sure she will be arriving soon." Sebastian said, taking the empty tray back to the kitchen.

By the time Ciel finished his tea, he could see the black carriage rolling up to the front door. Ciel was waiting there, Sebastian right behind him. Fae was the first to exit the carriage, then a new person came out after her. He had dark brown hair and pale skin. His eyes were the exact same color as Fae's were. He held out a hand for Miss Claire to take as she stepped out of the carriage. Yet again, the girl was wearing all black, but the skirt of the dress was shorter. "Thank you, Edmund." She said, looking over at him. The boy smiled crookedly and bowed shortly. "Anything for Lady Claire." The girl half-smiled back at him, before turning to Ciel.

"Good afternoon, Lord Phantomhive. I'm sorry for arriving so late. Your mansion is a long way away from mine." The girl said.  
"No, it is alright, lady Benoit." Ciel said shortly, "Shall we begin?" Claire glanced over at Sebastian, and her eyes darkened slightly. She smirked. "Of course."  
The group made their way to the open backyard, Fae and Edmund staying close to Claire while watching Sebastian, as if he would attack the girl. A rack of weapons was set up nearby, and also a table for Ciel and his servants to sit at. Mey-Rin, Finnian, and Bardroy were already sitting in their seats, whispering and glancing at Claire. Ciel made his way to his seat and sat down. "So, miss Benoit, what would you like to do first?" Claire kept her eyes on Sebastian and said, "Swordplay."

Sebastian tossed a sword to Claire and she caught it skillfully as he picked up his own sword. But then she tossed it back to him. "I'd like to use my own sword, thank you." Edmund walked up to the girl with a sword in his hands and gave it to her. It was a short sword with the name carved onto it. It was called "Médisant" which was French for "Backbiter."

Claire got into the proper stance, and Sebastian did the same. Fae would be the referee. "En guard." Claire shifted her feet a little, her eyes never leaving Sebastian. "I'll try to go easy on you." the girl said, smirking. "Prêt." Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "Allez!"

Claire was the first to attack. Just as Ciel predicted, she was fast, and he could tell she practiced. Sebastian parried her attack, moving in to hit her in the chest. But the girl quickly backed up, evading his attack. With her shorter sword, Ciel knew she would have to get in close to hit Sebastian. And that's just what she did. When he swung at her, she ducked while moving forward quickly. The two fighter's faces were inches apart, and Claire smirked, thinking she won. She swiped at Sebastian, but he rolled to the side. Her smirk faded, her eyes turning cold and calculating again. Sebastian lunged at her again, but this time she blocked the attack instead of evading it. Sebastian pushed down on her, trying to dislodge her blade, but the girl surprisingly held quick. Though, it looked like she was struggling with the effort. Ciel knew she wouldn't last much longer. But Miss Benoit wouldn't give up easily. She twirled so that her back was facing Sebastian, still keeping Sebastian's sword in check, before swinging in a wide arch. Sebastian stumbled as his sword was pulled along with hers. Sebastian's sword went flying in the air, landing behind Claire as she turned to face Sebastian again, this time her sword was pointed his throat.

The world was silent for a few moments before Claire lowered her sword, putting it back in it's sheath. "I believe I won." she said, looking over at Ciel. The girl turned back to Sebastian and said, "I did try to go easy on you." The boy's visible eye was calculating. He remembered a line from the book he read about the Raven: 'The Queen's Raven must have great agility and speed.' Well, those were two things this girl has, which made his suspicions even more accurate.  
The Phantomhive servants gazed at her with awe, and Sebastian smirked. "It's not everyday someone beats me in swordplay." The butler put his sword back on the rack as Claire said, "I've been taught swordplay since I was six years old, and I must say, you're pretty good."

Claire went on to fight the other servants too. She was easily beaten by Mey-Rin and Finnian because she was very nearsighted and not that strong, and it was a tie for Bardroy, since her father taught her many things about explosives. When they were all done, Ciel walked up to the girl. "Alright, you seem good enough." Claire smirked at him. "I'm glad to hear that." She held out her hand, and Ciel shook it. "I promise the assassin will not harm you."


	6. Chapter 5

It's been a few weeks since Claire's match with Sebastian, and the girl has made herself right at home in the Phantomhive mansion. Fae and Mey-Rin really get along, and so do Edmund, Finnian, and Bardroy. The three Phantomhive servants are still a little wary of Claire, but so far, she doesn't pose as a threat to them. Meanwhile, The girl has taken it upon herself to inspect every inch of the Phantomhive manor, because "The Raven might find a way in!" Ciel has already found her snooping through rooms she shouldn't be in, many, MANY times.

One day, while Ciel was working on one of the Queen's requests, Claire sneaked in. Ciel was too busy to even notice her, before she snatched the paper out of his hand. "What's this? A love~ letter?" She asked, reading it above her head so Ciel couldn't reach it. She smirked when he kept trying to reach it, while yelling at her to give it back. "Another request from the Queen? How boring." She handed the paper back to Ciel with an unamused expression on her face. Ciel huffed, and Claire smirked again. "How about a game?" Ciel looked up from the paper. "What game?" The girl's smirk widened slightly. "How about~... Chess?"

The chess board was set, and Ciel and Claire were just sitting at their places. Claire was the white pieces, Ciel- black, which meant Claire would make the first move. "Do you play chess often?" she asked, moving her first piece. "Yes, but no one seems like a good enough opponent to me." Ciel moved one of his pawns forward. Claire raised a brow. "Oh really? Perhaps, this time you will actually have an interesting game." She let her head rest in her palm as she moved her knight. "What about you?" Ciel asked, "Do you play chess often?" As he moved his next piece, she said, "I used to play all the time with my mother before she died." Claire moved her piece, and Ciel asked, "How did she die?" Claire paused, her bangs falling in her eyes. "She died from an unknown disease (breast cancer). It was found in her chest when the doctors performed the autopsy." The room was silent as she moved her pawn and took one of Ciel's pawns. "I'm sorry." Claire looked up at him. "But it's nothing compared to your loss," she said. Ciel took on of Claire's knights, and said nothing.

Claire sighed. "Let's talk about something different. This conversation is dreary, and it's making me depressed." Claire stole one of Ciel's rooks. "How is running your weapon company?" Ciel asked. "It's ok.. My father does most of the work in different countries. I focus on the business here." She rolled her eyes. "How's your Funtom company?" Ciel moved another pawn forward, blocking Claire's pawn. "It's ok.. Advertising is a pain though." The lady moved her next piece, looking up at him. "Well, you only talk about the boring stuff. Try making the product seem more... interesting." Ciel moved again, and said, "What do you mean?" Claire moved her Queen forward. "Well, you know- Talk about how it's a great product, and people will love using it for things.. Interesting!" Ciel thought about it for a moment. "Perhaps, I will make my products more.. interesting." He moved his pawn, taking Claire's king, and smirked. "Checkmate."

"What?!" Claire looked at the board and groaned. "Dangit-" She huffed and sat back in her chair. "You're pretty good." Ciel picked up the pawn that had taken Claire's king. "Despite being the smallest and one of the weakest pieces, pawns should never be underestimated." Claire narrowed her eyes at him and smirked. "You many use your pawns to your advantage, but the Queen-" She picked up her Queen. "-will always be the most powerful player."


	7. Chapter 6

Sebastian entered the room carrying a tray of tea for the two nobles. Ciel and Claire both said at the same time, "Is that Earl Grey?" Sebastian smirked and placed a teacup in front of each of them. "Still sharp as ever, young master. And I didn't known the young lady knew tea so well." Claire picked up her teacup. "My father drinks it all the time. I remember him teaching me how to tell what kind of tea it was by the smell and color."

Claire was about to take a sip from her tea, when a loud "CAW!" sounded from outside. The three people in the room all turned to see a raven flying near the window. Claire's eyes widened in recognition. "Cole!" she said, smiling -actually smiling- as she got up from her seat and opened the window. The bird quickly sat on the windowsill in front of Claire. The lady held out her hand, and the raven hopped onto her finger. "How did you find me here?" Ciel stood up, "Is that bird your pet or something?" Claire turned to him while petting the bird. "He visits my mansion often. I always know it's him by how loud he caws." Just as she said that, Cole cawed really loudly at Ciel and Sebastian. The girl giggled and petted his head again.

Whoa whoa whoa, hold up- She /giggled/?

Ciel watched as the lady smiled brightly and kept petting Cole, the crow crooning happily, with a very confused expression on his face. That girl could show another emotion besides cockiness?! Wow, that's... That's impressive. Even Sebastian was surprised.

Claire giggled again. "Alright now. Go back to the mansion. I'll be home in a few hours." She held her hand out of the window and the bird flew off.  
"Why does that bird come to your house often?" Ciel asked. "He's not the only one. Many birds visit my mansion, because I leave bird feed out for them everyday." The girl paused, watching the bird fly away until it disappeared from sight. "They are some of my best friends..."

There was moment of silence as a breeze filtered in through the window. Claire's eyes seemed distant to Ciel, like she was remembering a time long past. His eyes then caught on the three scars on her cheek. He could tell they were not from a knife or any other weapon, so... where did they come from? 'Now is not the time for that..' he thought. 'Maybe I'll ask her later..'

Sebastian looked down at his watch and said to Claire, "It's almost time for you to leave, Lady Benoit." Claire didn't face him. "Ah, yes.. The sun is going down." Her voice was soft for once. It almost surprised Ciel that the girl could do that. "I'll go get Fae and Edmund." She walked past Ciel quickly, her eyes covered by her bangs. He thought he saw a tear rolling down her cheek, but that can't be, right? Claire didn't seem like kind of person to cry in front of other people.  
Edmund and Fae were chatting with the other servants at the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mey-Rin!" Fae exclaimed, smiling happily. "Until tomorrow, yes!" Mey-Rin said. Edmund grinned at the other two boys. "Bye, guys!" Claire quietly walked down the stairs, and Ciel followed her down. Only when she got to the door did she turn to look at him. Her face was expressionless as she said, "I will see you tomorrow, Lord Phantomhive." Ciel nodded at her and she walked out side and into the carriage. Fae and Edmund were waving at Bardroy, Finnian, and Mey-Rin until they were out of sight. Ciel and Sebastian only watched from the doorway.

"She is a strange girl.." Sebastian said. Ciel glanced at him before looking back at the carriage. "Yes, she is. And those servants of hers too." Sebastian made a small "Oh!" before pulling a letter out of his pocket. "You received an invitation to another ball, young master." Ciel took and read it carefully. His eye caught on a small little note down at the bottom too. 'Your new guard is invited also. I hope to see you and Lady Benoit there!' "Why did they invite Claire?!"  
"Well, she is a noble like you. And you did nearly get assassinated at the previous ball. It wouldn't hurt to have another person come to protect you." Ciel frowned slightly. He paused for a moment before saying quietly, "Fine.. She can come too."


	8. Chapter 7

The next morning when Claire arrived, Ciel told her about the masquerade ball being held that night during tea in the gardens. "A masquerade ball? Sounds like fun." Claire said, before Fae called out to her, "Milady! I need help!" Claire glanced at Ciel and grinned a bit, "I'll be right back." Claire got up from her seat and walked over to Fae, "Alright, what happened this time?" Fae had tears in her eyes as she pointed at her hair, caught in the rose bush. Claire sighed. "You need to do something with your hair besides put it in pigtails." Claire quickly started fiddling with the hair caught in the bush, but it was tied in there pretty good. "Fae, quiet down-" she muttered, as the girl had started crying again. "Ciel, could you give me hand over here?" Ciel sighed and got up from his seat and examined the knot. "You must be pretty talented to get your hair stuck in one of the rose bushes.." Ciel said as he too tried to get out the knot. After a few minutes of cursing under his breath and pulling hard on the tangled hair (making Fae cry even more) Ciel called out, "Sebastian, we need your help!" But.. Sebastian was no where in sight. "Where did that bloody butler go now?" Ciel made his way around the gardens, trying to find his butler. "SEBASTIAN WHERE ARE YOU?!" Suddenly, the butler popped out from one of the bushes, a huge mass of cats surrounding him. "Young master!" he said, as Ciel started sneezing. "Why- *achoo* are all *achoo achoo* these damn *achoo* cats *ACHOO* here?!" Sebastian laughed nervously, shooing all the cats away. Claire was rolling with laughter in the background, and Fae as still crying. "Will someone get my hair out of the stupid bush already?" she said, sobbing. "Allow me." Sebastian said, walking over to her. Ciel and Claire stood next to each other as Sebastian untied the knot. Every once in a while, Ciel would sneeze, and Claire would snickered. "So you're allergic to cats, and you butler happens to love them to a point of obsession. Wow... just, wow." Ciel's face flushed and Claire snickered again. "Thank you, Mister Sebastian!" Fae said, before running off to join Edmund and the others.  
Claire looked up at the sky. "It's almost dark already... I should go home to prepare. See you at the ball, Ciel!" Ciel didn't have time to talk before the girl ran off to get her two servants.

It was time for the masquerade, and Ciel was there already, fully in costume. His mask was black and white with intricate beading on it, and his outfit was mainly black with a bit of navy blue here and there. He was watching all the people dance and chat from the corner, just like at the Viscount's party. Ciel then noticed that some people were glancing in his direction and whispering something to the person next to them. Ciel scowled at the people, and they quickly walked off.  
"Tout le parti, non? (Quite the party, no?)" a familiar voice said. Ciel turned to see a girl wearing a midnight black dress with gray trim on the sleeves, bodice and skirt. She also wore a silver necklace with her family crest on it. The lady held a silver and black mask shaped like wings over her acid green eyes, and smirked. Ciel knew it was Claire the moment he saw her scars. "You speak French?" Claire lowered the mask so he could see her face. "I did live in France for six years of my life."

The two of them watched the dancers in silence. When the song was over, and a new one was coming up, Ciel held out his hand to Claire. "Would you like to dance?" "You mean your staggering waltz?" Sebastian asked, smirking slightly. Claire laughed softly. "Staggering waltz? Are you that bad of a dancer?" Ciel blushed with embarrassment and looked away. Claire chuckled, and took his hand, leading him to the dance floor. "Here, I'll show you." Ciel blushed a bit darker and said, "What?!" Claire smirked. "It's easy. Put your hand on the lady's waist and hold her hand with your other." She got him in the correct position. The music started playing, and she whispered, "Now move your left foot forward." Ciel did as he was told, and Claire move her right foot back. He stumbled a bit as he did so. "Gracefully." Claire emphasized, "You don't want to step on the lady's foot." More dancers joined around them. "Move you right foot to the side, and slightly forward." Ciel tried it again, a bit more gracefully this time. Claire smirked. "Good job, now here's the last move- Cross your left foot behind the right foot, and go back into your original position." Claire smirked again when he managed to do that at least. "There! That's just what you do through the whole song."

They continued dancing for a while (They had to pause for a moment after Ciel stepped on Claire's foot) with Sebastian watching from the sidelines, and when the song was over, they returned to their corner. "Who would've thought young master could dance like that," the butler said as they returned. Ciel made a small 'tch' and Claire smirked slightly. "I can see why you say he has a 'staggering waltz.'" Ciel blushed again. "Well, I think I will be heading home now. Have a nice evening, gentlemen." And with that, she walked away, disappearing in the crowd.


	9. Chapter 8

It was the afternoon of the next day, and Ciel was sitting in his study alone, reading the daily paper. Everyone else was out doing something. Sebastian was preparing dinner early, and the other six were doing God-knows-what. But at the moment, he really didn't care. The boy had just finished the last of his work, and he just wanted a moment of rest.

But, he couldn't get that moment of rest, for when he was about to take a sip of the earl grey tea Sebastian brought him, he heard a loud crash come from the main hall. "The hell-" he said to himself, folding the paper and putting his teacup on the tray again. Ciel walked down the hall, and was soon joined by Sebastian and Claire. "I take it you two heard the crash too?" Sebastian asked. "Yes.. Do you know what it is?" Ciel replied, looking at both Claire and Sebastian. Claire shrugged and Sebastian shook his head. They continued down the hall in silence and on guard.

They made it to the main hall, only to see the doors wide open and nearly off their hinges. Ciel's expression turned stone-cold, and Claire pulled out the knife she kept in her boot. "Sebastian, get the others. Search the entire grounds. That's an order." Sebastian bowed and said his customary phrase, before running off to find the others. Ciel carefully descended the staircase, Claire right behind him. "Ciel, I should go first." Claire said, stopping him by putting a hand on his shoulder. "I _am_ supposed to be protecting you, correct?" Ciel didn't have time to answer before Claire walked in front of him. Her acid green eyes searching the room, skimming across the walls and doors. Then she looked up and stopped suddenly. She squinted up there, and her eyes soon widened with realization.

"DUCK, CIEL!" The tone of her voice was so powerful and commanding, Ciel quickly did has he was told. He heard a gunshot only seconds after he moved. Luckily the bullet didn't hit him. Claire quickly ducked as well as more bullets rained down on them. The boy knew who it was even though he could not see her. It was the Raven. But.. how did she manage to get inside so easily? Ciel's eyes scanned the room, and quickly find a table they could hide under. "Claire, this way!" he yelled above the gunshots. Claire looked over at him then at the table and nodded. They both took off at the same time, sliding to make it under the table. They both put there arms over their heads as bullets tried to penetrate the wooden table.

Ciel looked over at Claire to make sure she wasn't hurt. The girl's face was pale white, making her scars stand out even more the usual. "We need to stall the Raven long enough for the others to arrive!" Claire's eyes quickly scanned the room for any ting that could help them. Then she got an idea. "The Raven is after you, right? Well, I've got a way to stall her-" And with that, the girl slide out from under the table, leaving Ciel there alone. "Claire, wait-!"

The lady stood up, searching for the assassin in the rafters. She quickly found the girl dressed in midnight black and threw the knife she was holding in her direction. It hit the wooden beam right next to the Raven's head. The girl looked down at her and stood up straight. She dropped the gun she had and jumped from the rafters, landing in front of Claire. Before she even stood up straight she had pulled out a knife and tried to swipe at Claire. But the raven-haired girl quickly jumped back and pulled out a second knife.

The two girls fought, both equally matched in skill. Whenever the Raven made a move, Claire would quickly counter the attack and make her own move. Ciel watched them from under the table. They fought for another minute or two before the Raven got a lucky shot. Claire tried to swipe at the Raven with her knife, but the other girl ducked and kicked Claire right in the stomach. Claire fell back a few feet, holding her stomach in pain.

Ciel was just about to go help her when more gunshots rang out. This time, it was Mey-Rin who was shooting. The others had arrived! Along with Sebastian and Edmund. But Fae was nowhere to be seen. Mey-Rin kept shooting at the Raven, trying not to hit either Ciel or Claire. The Raven knew she wouldn't survive if she kept attacking, so she quickly ran out the front door and jumped into the trees. The servants chased after her while Sebastian, Edmund and Ciel stayed behind to help Claire. "Are you alright?" Ciel asked. Claire stood up slowly, trying to ignore the pain in her stomach. "I'm fine." Sebastian happened to glance down at her arm and notice that her sleeve was torn and blood had soaked part of the fabric. "Lady Claire, you're bleeding-" Claire looked at her arm and simply shrugged. "It's just a scratch." Edmund frowned at her. "Milady, you should really get a bandage for tha-" "I said I'm fine, Edmund." she interrupted, her tone turning darker.

Mey-Rin, Finnian, Bardroy, _and_ Fae came back soon after. "We found her unconscious in the gardens." Claire walked over to her maid and asked in a worried tone, "Are you alright, Fae? You didn't bruised anything, did you?" The brunette shook her head, giving Claire a reassuring smile. "I'm alright, Miss Claire!" Claire smiled at her, but the worry didn't leave her face. "Thank goodness."

Ciel walked up to the others and asked them, "Did you catch the Raven?" Finnian shook his head. "She just disappeared into thin air! We couldn't find a trace of her anywhere." Ciel frowned, looking over at Sebastian. His eyes seemed to ask, "Can you sense her?" Sebastian shook his head and Ciel let out a frustrated sigh. "How does she keep disappearing?" "Calm down, Ciel." Claire said, walking up to him. "We'll find her eventually." Ciel glanced at her for a moment before turning and walking up the staircase.

"I certainly hope so, Claire."


	10. Chapter 9

It was nearly nighttime the next day, and everyone in the Phantomhive mansion was in Ciel's office. Sebastian was right beside Ciel and Claire was pacing in front of his desk. The other servants were standing off to the side. The lady looked frustrated, and almost fearful as she paced, trying to think. "How did the Raven get in?! The door was locked tight- There was no way she could just kick open the door! She was too small and didn't have a lot of strength otherwise." She said, stopping and sitting in the chair that Fae had put out for her. "It is strange how she got inside. " Ciel said, taking a sip from his tea as Claire glared at the wall. "Well, we now know you aren't safe here anymore, if she can get in that easily." That got Ciel's attention. He slowly put his teacup down, then rested his head in the palm of his hand. "What are you trying to say, Miss Benoit?" Sebastian asked. Claire looked at him through the corner of her eye. "I'm saying that he needs to be moved."

Ciel's eyes widened for a second, before he said, "And where will I be staying?" Claire turned her head to face him. "You could stay with me in my mansion." If Ciel had taken a sip of his tea, he probably would've spit it out in that moment. "Stay with you?!" Claire's mouth twitched, like she wanted to laugh at him in that moment. "Of course. My estate is really deep in the countryside, and it's nearly impossible to find. Plus, it would make it easier for me to guard you, since I wouldn't have to travel all the way over to your mansion." Ciel made a 'tch' sound, while Sebastian smiled slightly, "She does have a point, young master." Ciel made a sour face, thinking about it for a moment. "Alright fine." he said bitterly. Claire's smirk widened. "Alright. We leave tomorrow."

And with that, Claire got up from where she sat and exited the room, Fae and Edmund following behind her. Ciel sighed loudly when the door shut. "Living with that girl... God help me."

* * *

Claire arrived early next morning so that they could get to her mansion before dark. When she exited the carriage, she looked exhausted. "Good morning, Ciel." she said in a sleepy voice. "Good god, when did you wake up this morning?" Ciel asked. The girl nearly tripped when she walked up to him. "About 1:00..." she said, before dozing off. Good thing Ciel was close enough to catch her! "Good grief.." he muttered, before poking her face repeatedly. "Claire, wake up." The ravenette quickly woke up, rubbing her eye. "Anyway, let's get going...!" She slowly walked back to the carriage and sat in one of the seats. Ciel went in after her. Sebastian looked back and the three servants and said, "Keep the mansion safe while we're gone." Mey-Rin, Bardroy, and Finnian all saluted him and said simultaneously, "Yes, sir!" The pitch black butler then entered the carriage.

The three of them rode in complete silence (mainly because Claire fell asleep right as she sat down) until the mansion came into view. It wasn't very large, but still a good size for a noble. The stone was a dark gray, nearly black, and the roof was deep green. Ciel and Sebastian couldn't see the front courtyard, yet, but boy were they in for a surprise. The carriage stopped in front of a forest path covered in fog, large trees on either side. Sebastian stepped out of the carriage first, Claire (she finally woke up) right after. Ciel was the last to exit.

At first, there was nothing. "Just wait. They'll be here in a minute." Claire said quietly, trying to keep herself from falling asleep again. Just a few minutes later, Ciel and Sebastian saw a faint glow of a lantern. When it got closer, they could make the forms of Fae and Edmund. This was the first time Ciel got a good look at the two servants too.

Fae had long bronze-colored hair with very pale skin dotted with freckles. She was wearing a baby-blue dress with a white apron and black flats, much unlike what a normal maid would wear. Edmund had deep brown unkept hair and a darker tone of skin, but still fairly pale. He was wearing a black vest with a white dress shirt underneath and black trousers. But one thing that really stood out to Ciel were their eyes. A bright shade of electric blue, making them almost glow in the dim light. And they were exactly to same.

"Good morning, Lord Phantomhive and Mister Sebastian." Fae said, giving them a soft smile. "Welcome to Benoit Manor."


End file.
